Welcome to My Existential Crisis – Episode 3

Reporter: Hello everyone! So glad you could join us today. After our last episode — well, let’s be honest. That didn’t turn out as well as I hoped. I really thought a bit of psychotherapy was all we needed, but then we wound up–

Editor: Hey! Would you stop jabbering over there for one freakin’ minute and get her off me?!

Reporter: Uh… excuse me, folks… Now, Writer-self, you have your own chair. You don’t need to sit in Editor’s lap.

Reporter: No, wait! I need you to stay! Writer, stop kissing Editor. You know she has problems with that sort of thing.

Writer: (sits in her own chair) Oh, fine. But I know she loves me.

Editor: I DO NOT!

Writer: (giggling) Methinks she doth protest too much!

Editor: That’s not how the quote goes, you idiot. I can’t take this. I’m leaving.

Reporter: I made chocolate cake.

Editor: (sits down) I’ll stay for a bit. Just keep her away from me.

Reporter: Fair enough. All right, I’ve been doing a lot of research on our… um… little problem. And I came upon some really fascinating stuff. Have either of you heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Editor: Of course I’ve heard of it. I know all about it… But you should probably explain it for Writer’s sake.

Writer: Aww, that’s so sweet. Thank you for caring about me.

Editor: Because she’s an idiot.

Reporter: Okay, well, Abraham Maslow was a psychologist who came to prominence in the 60s. Interesting guy, by the way. I mean, I could go on for hours—

Editor: Please don’t.

Reporter: Right. Well, he had this radical idea of studying healthy people. I mean, before him, they were only interested in learning what was wrong with people. But Maslow thought by studying happy, confident, what he called “self actualized” people, he could help his clients grow into their best selves. You see, he didn’t call the people he met with patients; he called them clients. Isn’t that interesting?

Editor: Fascinating. What does that have to do with us?

Writer: I thought you said there would be cake. Where’s the cake?

Reporter: That’s for later. The thing is, I spent some time looking over his hierarchy of needs — by the way, Maslow himself never used a pyramid to discuss his ideas. That’s something other people did, and–

Editor: Oh my God, just get on with it already!

Reporter: Okay, well, the thing I noticed was that we seem to be in different places on the pyramid at the same time. So I’m thinking that might be our problem right there.

Editor: (studying the pyramid) Ah, yes. I see what you mean.

Reporter: Right? I mean, it seems pretty obvious.

Editor: Yeah. Writer is at the bottom, you’re in the middle, and I’m on top.

Reporter: What?!

Writer: I’m hungry.

Editor: You two are really dragging me down.

Reporter: How can you say you’re at the top?! You are SO far from the top!

Editor: What? You think you are? Look, one of the things is “acceptance of facts.” Accept it, baby. I’m on top.

Reporter: How about spontaneity? Or creativity? Oh, hell – look right below it — “respect of others.” You respect no one! You’re the one who insults our Writer-self and makes her feel bad!

Writer: This is boring.

Editor: For once Writer is right. Where’s the cake?

Reporter: Okay, I knew this would happen. See, my research said that when a person’s basic needs are met, they then start thinking about the meaning of life, and they may begin to fear that it is, in fact, meaningless.

Writer: I think I can see the cake. Is that it?

Editor: Oh, yeah… It looks like it’s getting closer. That’s so weird.

Reporter: But then at the same time, the person will cling to a hope of life being important, or that they can create something of importance and thereby be remembered.

Writer: You know, I think the less we talk, the sooner the cake will get here.

Editor: Really? That’s surreal.

Reporter: This gives rise to an inner conflict referred to as ‘existential anxiety.’ It can be so disturbing that people will do just about anything to avoid it.

Writer: She keeps talking though. If we can get her to stop talking, we can eat.

Editor: Writer, that’s brilliant. Give me your scarf.

Reporter: Now, according to the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, rather than avoid this anxiety, we should embrace it. Because in doing so, we’ll live a more authentic, fulfilling life. But facing up to this sense of ‘non-being’ if you will, requires strength of character and increased responsibility.

Editor: You get on that side of her. Pretty scarf, by the way. Is it silk?

Writer: Yes. Believe it or not, I found it in a thrift store for three bucks.

Editor: Really? I’ve underestimated you, Writer.

Reporter: And beings how people dislike responsibility, you can see why so many choose the unfulfilling path. Sad, isn’t it? Although it brings to mind a quote by the theologian, Paul Tillich…

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Author: CJ Hartwell

After spending most of her life in Phoenix, Arizona, CJ Hartwell moved to the middle of Minnesota. Is she nuts? Probably. For updates on her sanity, click on the link to follow by email.
View all posts by CJ Hartwell

I used to struggle with the theory of actualization. That we strife to be all that we can be, but it’s a place that we can never fully reach. Now I can see that without striving, we give up and cease to be. Damn, you better give me a slice of that cake before I start chatting about existentialism and free will.
Love these posts. 🙂

I’m actually a little sad to see that your three personalities are beginning to merge, as I was secretly hoping that this would exploded into a full-on “Sally Field as Sybil” situation, with you having 32 personalities or some such. Still, it’s not my journey and therefore I shouldn’t judge, at least not in public. But I’m thrilled to have another installment in this saga. (Twitterpated!) Love the psychology-theory mashup, as well as the pause to contemplate the thrifty beauty of the choke-scarf. And there’s cake involved! I’m well-sated, Three Faces of Eve. Well-sated, indeed. (But I still have room for cake, if there’s any left…)

I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Brian. These threesome girl friendships never work out well among the emotionally immature. I’ve a feeling Reporter is planning her revenge.
The cake was scrumptious, by the way. Sorry you missed it. 😉

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Hey there! I'm C.J., a tortured writer living in a small seaside cottage with my Malamute and 52 cats. Not really, but that's my dream.
If one of your dreams is finding a safe haven to unwind and have a chuckle or two, I hope Feeding on Folly becomes that place for you.